‘The Walking Dead’: The Saddest Deaths Ever

If there is one constant in a Walking Dead fans’ life, it’s knowing that at some point, your favorite character will probably die. Over the previous seasons, we’ve bid bloody goodbyes to dozens of characters; some that came and went like the wind, and a few that stuck around for years before finally biting the dust.

The series has made a name for itself for the grisly way it tends to dispose of its ensemble members — but there’s no doubt that some deaths have been harder to take than others. Here are our picks for the most devastating Walking Dead deaths of all time.

Warning: spoilers for all seasons of the show ahead!

7. Noah

The Walking Dead‘s Noah | AMC

Of all the truly devastating deaths on The Walking Dead, Noah’s was in some ways the least earned. That’s because we got so little time with him, compared to many of the other characters.

Still, as Season 5 wore on, we got a chance to see that he was a bright kid with an eye toward the future. In “Spend,” Reg gave him a journal and told him to start documenting Alexandria’s story.

It seemed like he had finally found a place in the group. Which, of course, meant it was time for him to be cruelly ripped from their ranks.

In the midst of a supply run gone wrong, he found himself trapped by walkers in a revolving door with Glenn and Nicholas. If the latter hadn’t totally panicked, all three would have made it out alive.

Instead, Nicholas escaped and Glenn was forced to watch, helpless, as his friend was pushed against the glass and devoured. The way Noah went out was so completely avoidable, and so truly gruesome, that it was especially heart wrenching.

Next: We’re not sure what was sadder — this death, or the killers’ reactions to it.

6. Lizzie and Mika

The Walking Dead‘s Lizzie and Mika | AMC

In the opening sequence of The Walking Dead, Rick gunned down a zombie child in bunny slippers — and the series’ creators made it clear that they would not hold back when it came to showcasing the brutality of living through a zombie apocalypse. In six seasons, we’ve witnessed numerous children — from Sophia to Sam — suffer terrible fates at the hands and mouths of the undead.

But there was something particularly brutal about the deaths of young Lizzie and Mika in the Season 4 episode, “The Grove” — and it had just as much to do with the killers’ roles as it did with the victims. Lizzie, who struggled with reality and was never quite able to grasp that the walkers weren’t playthings, ended up murdering her sister — and was on her way to do the same to Judith when Carol intervened.

She tried to do it gently, by having Lizzie look away, but the moment was still overwhelming because it represented two tragic losses — both of which likely couldn’t have been avoided, given Lizzie’s nature and Carol’s instinct for survival.

Next: It wasn’t easy to say goodbye to this sweetheart of a character in Season 5.

5. Tyreese

The Walking Dead‘s Tyreese | AMC

In The Walking Dead’s first six seasons, plenty of time has been spent on the living and how they experience loss — but we haven’t had much of a chance to learn what it’s like for the ones doing the dying. That is, except for during the Season 5 episode, “What Happened and What’s Going On,” in which we got a glimpse into Tyreese’s mind as he slowly succumbed to infection after being bitten by a walker.

It was hard enough watching Tyreese pass away — after all, he spent almost two seasons proving himself as both a worthy fighter and a fierce ally to his friends. Tyreese was so committed to his tribe that he spent his last moments remembering them.

His death was more than just an event. It became a meditation on purpose, life, and regret, which made his loss all the more emotional and painful.

Next: There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when the gang learned about this death.

4. Beth

For Daryl and for all of us, Beth’s death was a tough blow. | AMC

Beth Greene was definitely a “love her or hate her” kind of character. But even if you fell on the not-so-fond-of-her side, it’s hard to deny that her death in the fifth midseason finale, “Coda,” was one of The Walking Dead‘s most tragic.

First, there was the fact that she died a hero after standing up to Dawn’s tyrannical regime at Grady Memorial. It only made it worse that some of her fiercest allies — Rick, Noah, Carol and Daryl among them — had to witness her death.

Then, there was the part where she was just moments away from being reunited with her sister. And that Maggie was so overcome with grief when she saw a sobbing Daryl carrying Beth out of the hospital that she collapsed to the ground.

Next: This beloved character was a hero until the end.

3. Hershel

The Walking Dead‘s Hershel | AMC

In a series full of complicated characters and antiheroes, Hershel Greene was a breath of fresh air. While he first resisted letting Rick and his friends find refuge on his farm, he ended up becoming a true father figure to all, and a shining example of kindness, love, and grace under fire.

That’s why his death at the hands of the Governor in the Season 4 episode, “Too Far Gone” was so difficult to swallow. Until his last moments, Hershel hoped that the world would come back from the brink of total destruction — and he was clearly proud that Rick tried to save his life through negotiating rather than pointing his gun.

Instead, he lost his life (and his head) to someone who had no interest in making peace, while those who loved him most — including Maggie and Beth — watched helplessly from behind prison gates. Hershel’s death marked a turning point for many of the characters, most especially Rick, and served as a painful reminder that in The Walking Dead universe, no good deed goes unpunished.

Next: This death was so gruesome that it was almost impossible to watch.

2. Glenn

The Walking Dead‘s Lucille | AMC

For six seasons, Glenn Rhee managed to evade death time, and time, and time again. But his life came to a swift and brutal end at the hands of Negan in the seventh season premiere, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be.”

Comic book fans had long expected that the moment would come. After all, it happened almost exactly the same way in Issue 100 of the comics.

And indeed, Glenn’s final seconds on Earth were eerily similar to what played out on Robert Kirkman’s pages. Knowing it would happen didn’t make it any easier, though.

Neither did the fact that Negan had just finished killing Abraham, another lovable stalwart. Glenn’s death was arguably the most graphic of the entire series; and watching his friends sob in horror was the icing on a truly traumatic cake.

But it was Glenn’s final moments — in which he bid farewell to Maggie before being literally beaten to a pulp — were truly horrific, and something no Walking Dead fan will get over any time soon.

Next: Even though we knew it was coming, it was hard to watch this death play out.

1. Carl

Carl’s final moments were heartbreaking. | AMC

“Honor,” the Season 8 midseason premiere, was all about Carl’s legacy. We didn’t just see the moment that he died. We saw everything he did up until that point to get himself ready for it after he was bitten by a walker.

It was, in a way, the perfect send-off for one of The Walking Dead‘s most changed characters. Because he spent his last moments on earth trying to do good. He wrote letters to his loved ones. He pleaded with his father to find a way back to the man he used to be. But these reminders of how good, kindhearted and brave Carl was only made his death harder. It was merciful that his actual death took place off-screen.

Seeing Michonne and Rick’s devastated reaction to the sound of his self-inflicted gunshot, though, was every bit as heartbreaking.